Sad Old Tatty Bunting released Today

 Sad Old tatty Bunting has been released and is available from
Castles in Space and Rough Trade/Norman Records and many others.
Artwork by Nick Taylor

 

Castles in Space is thrilled to present a timely new album from Keith Seatman - his first “extraordinary adventure” since 2020’s “Time To Dream But Never Seen”. “Sad Old Tatty Bunting” is another multi layered, deeply psychedelic construction which contains collaborations with Jim Jupp (Ghost Box, Belbury Poly) and Douglas E. Powell (Broken Folk).

Keith provides the vision and background to the album:

“The inspiration for Sad Old Tatty Bunting came about very early one morning in April 2020, during the first UK lockdown. I had taken to going for long walks between six and seven o’clock in the morning. I would stroll aimlessly and directionless up and down terraced streets, along the beach and on the prom.
On these early morning walks, places that were once very familiar to me seemed to have changed and taken on an unfamiliar feel. With this change I noticed new things, things which I had not seen before or maybe had no memory of ever seeing.

“One morning I passed an old pub. Hanging in the beer garden was some very old and quite shabby looking bunting. As I stared at the faded old colours I started to wonder why the bunting was there? Was it put up to mark a long forgotten occasion? Or had it been placed there to just brighten up the garden? As the weeks went by, I started to wander further and every now and then would notice more random old tatty bunting hanging from trees, lamp posts or in windows. On theses walks an idea started to take root. I came up with and really liked the phrase Sad Old Tatty Bunting. I mentioned this to my friend Douglas E Powell who said it sounded like the name of an old scarecrow (Tatty Bunting) it was then that I realised that Sad Old Tatty Bunting could refer to many different concepts/ideas/places/books and things. What, who or even where was Sad Old Tatty Bunting? I honestly had no idea…but it was definitely an idea I was going to pursue…”  

 

All instruments Keith Seatman, with
Jim Jupp - Synths on Jumpy's Playroom
Douglas E Powell - Voice on Burial at Bevill's Leam

All Tracks Written by Keith Seatman, except
Seatman and Jupp - Jumpy's Playroom
Seatman and Powell - Burial at Bevill's Leam

All tracks produced by Keith Seatman and Jack Packer, except
Jumpy's Playroom - Produced by Jim Jupp  

Some Vids by Mr Stevens

 Some wonderful short Promo Videos made for the new album
Sad Old Tatty Bunting.
All videos By Jez Stevens

 

23rd Century Giants. Renaldo and the Loaf.

 

Out on March 8th 2022
23rd Century Giants (on Blu Ray and Digi)
More info Here

Found Objects: Haunted England and Folk Customs, Christina Hole

Found Objects: Haunted England and Folk Customs, Christina Hole:  A Friend picked this lovely Christina Hole book up for me as a Christmas present. What is particularly interesting about this book (Haunte...

Sad Old Tatty Bunting (Norman Records Pre-Order)

A darkly unique new transmission from the
incomparable Keith Seatman.

Sad Old Tatty Bunting
Format: 12” Coloured Vinyl LP / Download
Released: 18th February, 2022
Catalogue Number CiS093
Distributor: Forte Music
Genre: Electronic, Leftfield, Abstract, Psychedelic, Folk
Pre-Order Norman Records
Castles in Space is thrilled to present a timely new album from Keith Seatman - his first “extraordinary adventure” since 2020’s “Time To Dream But Never Seen”. “Sad Old Tatty Bunting” is another multi layered, deeply psychedelic construction which contains collaborations with Jim Jupp (Ghost Box, Belbury Poly) and Douglas E. Powell (Broken Folk).

Keith provides the vision and background to the album:

“The inspiration for Sad Old Tatty Bunting came about very early one morning in April 2020, during the first UK lockdown. I had taken to going for long walks between six and seven o’clock in the morning. I would stroll aimlessly and directionless up and down terraced streets, along the beach and on the prom.
On these early morning walks, places that were once very familiar to me seemed to have changed and taken on an unfamiliar feel. With this change I noticed new things, things which I had not seen before or maybe had no memory of ever seeing.

“One morning I passed an old pub. Hanging in the beer garden was some very old and quite shabby looking bunting. As I stared at the faded old colours I started to wonder why the bunting was there? Was it put up to mark a long forgotten occasion? Or had it been placed there to just brighten up the garden? As the weeks went by, I started to wander further and every now and then would notice more random old tatty bunting hanging from trees, lamp posts or in windows. On theses walks an idea started to take root. I came up with and really liked the phrase Sad Old Tatty Bunting. I mentioned this to my friend Douglas E Powell who said it sounded like the name of an old scarecrow (Tatty Bunting) it was then that I realised that Sad Old Tatty Bunting could refer to many different concepts/ideas/places/books and things. What, who or even where was Sad Old Tatty Bunting? I honestly had no idea…but it was definitely an idea I was going to pursue…”

Test Transmission Archive Reel 47

 

Welcome to Test Transmission Archive Reel 47. The Winter Months are here and Festive celebrations are being thought about and prepared. So to see this strange old year out here is a 60s Psych/Electronic/Folk/Soul Mix. Everything in this mix is from 1960-1970…however I have excluded the obvious (Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Velvet Underground, Who etc) with so much to choose from there was absolutely no reason to include any of those bands. So all sorts of musical Oddities and Quirkiness from West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Perrey & Kingsley, the Aquarian Age, Marlena Shaw, The Nocturnes, White Noise, Fifty Foot Hose, The Mesmerizing Eye, Mary Hopkin, Joe Meek, David Cain, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, The 101 Strings, United States of America, Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood, Free Design and loads and loads more. So until sometime in 2022 I will now leave you. Enjoy the Winter Months ahead and all the best for the New Year.

Endangered Species 1998 (Castles in Space Subscription Library)

 

 

In what appears to have become an annual event, the second Castles in Space Subscription Library album based upon a set of Royal Mail stamps has arrived.

This time, the inspiration is taken from The Endangered Species Presentation Pack, which was pack number 284, issued in January 1998.

I contacted the artists in Autumn 2021 and gave them only the image of the stamp for which they were to compose a piece for. I’m in awe of what they have produced for this album and acknowledge their intellect and great ability in interpreting nothing more than an image, beautiful though the images are, into these wonderful, interpretive pieces.

Please download the album which includes the PDF file of the accompanying booklet. We were down to the wire this time, so the physical booklet will be issued to subscribers early in the new year.

Colin Morrison, Biggleswade, December 17th, 2021
Released December 17, 2021

In The Fields Round The Back (Excerpt)

 

In The Fields Round The Back is from the New Keith Seatman Album, Sad Old Tatty Bunting (CiS093) Due for release Late Feb/March 2022 on Castles in Space. Video filmed and produced by Jez Stevens. Jez also made The Avoid Large Places Video for my 2020 album Time to Dream But Never Seen and the Renaldo and The Loaf video A Convivial Ode. Another short promo (silly and odd) will appear in late Jan/Early Feb 2022. Sad Old Tatty Bunting Castles in Space (CiS 093) Feb/March 2022

Some thoughts ramblings and waffle from me

 Some links to thoughts ramblings and waffle from my brain.
Interview from Haunted Generation
and some questions from Wyrd Daze

https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/2020/03/12/keith-seatman-doctor-who-and-time-to-dream-but-never-seen/   

https://wyrddaze.wordpress.com/2021/09/08/wyrd-question-daze-keith-seatman/

Woodford Halse. Undulating Waters 6 and 7. Nov 2021

Keith Seatman · The Odd Admin Sub Committee Excerpt

I have a new track (The Odd Admin Sub Committee) on the new Undulating Waters 7 compilation from the Woodford Halse Label.
But before Undulating Waters 7 there is also Undulating Waters 6.
Following on from 5 previous volumes of our flagship series, Undulating Waters now makes
the jump from cassette onto glass mastered CD with two further editions. Each volume
features new or previously unreleased contributions from an amazing array of talented
musicians from across the globe and across multiple genres. Some names will be familiar,
others may be new to you (there are one or two debut appearances here too),
but what we have is a wonderful collection of new music as the soundtrack to the
end of a not-so-wonderful year. (Matt Handley Woodford Halse 2021)

Volume 6:
Angeline Morrison (UK, folk)
Apta (UK. ambient/electronic)
Aural Design (Portugal, hauntology/library)
Bernard Grancher (France, experimental pop/electronic)
Camp of Wolves (Canada, ambient/electronic)
Holy Ghost People/Adam Stone (UK, post-punk/dub/spoken word)
Korb (UK, kosmische/motorik)
Luzon Valley Fearless (UK, alt country)
Nilson (Germany, hauntology/experimental)
Personal Bandana (USA, kosmische/synthwave)
Quiet Clapping (Ireland, drone/minimalism)
Ryan James Mawbey/Jonathan Hill (UK, post-rock)
Sairie (UK, folk)
Salvatore Mercatante (USA, techno/electro)
Xylitol (UK, kosmische/disco)

Volume 7:
Arboria (UK, psych-folk/spiritual jazz)
David Colohan (Ireland, ambient/folk)
Ffion (UK, ambient/electronica)
Floodlights (UK, post-pop/electronic)
Giants of Discovery (UK, ambient/electronic)
The Home Current (Luxembourg, electronic)
Jacken Elswyth (UK, folk)
Keith Seatman (UK, psychedelic/electronic),
Letters From Mouse (Scotland, electronica/idm)
Listening Center (USA, kosmische/radiophonic)
Lo Five (UK, ambient/electronic)
Pigeon Postal Service (Portugal, hauntology/radiophonic)
Polyhymns (UK, dream pop/electronic)
Prana Crafter/WindKraft (USA, acid folk, cosmic)
Rupert Lally (Switzerland, electronic/synthwave)

Artwork for these beautiful editions comes from Nick Taylor (Miracle Pond) for Volume 6 and
Kevin McFadin (Sunrise Ocean Bender) from Volume 7. Doncaster wordsmith and Beam
Weapons noise maker Paul Bareham also returns with his continuing off-kilter narration of the
Woodford Halse saga which continues on the reverse of the oversized cigarette card inserts.

Undulating Waters on Vimeo
Undulating Waters 6
Undulating Waters 7

Found Objects: Which Magazine. Anorak or Parka

Found Objects: Which Magazine. Anorak or Parka: From September 1976 Winter fuel bill worries Pension worries Out of Work Unemployment Or Anorak and Parka?  ...

Test Transmission Archive Reel 46

 

Dark old October is here, and the end of the year is edging closer. So to keep you going as the evenings draw in, here is a selection of tunes that will hopefully keep you all snug over the coming months. So this time round we have Axxess, Simon Heartfield, Carole Ward, The Equals, Man or Astroman, Anika, Morecambe and Wise, Sleaford Mods, Faust, Simple Minds, Andy Roberts, Cult of Wedge, Pulselovers, Be Bop Deluxe, ToiToiToi and loads more. There will be a themed Test Transmission Archive Reel at the end of the year, but until then goodbye for now.

Alice's Wunderland

 

"Good eventide, earbandits. You are invited on a journey of shelf discovery, as you take a trip to Wunderland - the Poundland of magical realms. It’s a kingdom much like our own, yet also nothing like it in the slightest" Alice's Wunderland is a Comedy sketch show written and performed by Alice Lowe, narrated by Marcia Warren
I 1st became aware of this funny and magical series via Bob Fischer's Haunted Generation.
Bob interviewed Alice Lowe and in the interview Bob asked Alice about his favorite episode of Wunderland. "Can I ask about your radio show, Alice’s Wunderland? There’s one episode in particular that I love, and it ties in with lots of things that we’ve talked about. It’s the episode with the ghost of a child who has died in 1977. And everything is in there: there are Public Information Films, creepy school assembly songs, pantomime dames… was that episode a nice way of chucking all of your favourite scary 1970s things in there?" (Bob Fischer Haunted Generation)
The whole series is really wonderful and a joy, but this episode (Series 3 episode 2) really is spot on with its 70s public information references, Panto Dames as Police Men, creepy things. A Child Ghost who died in the 70s after being killed by a speeding icecream van and also getting his PE bag tangled in a drunken moped belonging to a stranger who handed him a hot sparkler which he touched without gloves, then in hospital threw a frizzbee to his friend which went into the pathway of oncoming cows. Then he got squeshed. Trapped in time with the same haircut the Child Ghost enlists Alice to help him solve his murder. Lots of fantastic nods to many other series "Oh for a kind lady with a Scandinavian  accent and forensic pullover".  Very funny and superbly written.
All episodes available on the iPlayer
Interview with Alice Lowe (Velvet Onion 2012)

Test Transmission Archive Reel 45

 

Welcome to Test Transmission Archive Reel 45. The temperature is on the rise outside and getting very hot. So to keep you entertained here are some weird wonderful and footapping tunes to keep you all going throughout the long old summer.
Audio wonders from Billy Nomates, Television, Terry Thomas, ELO, Eccentronic Research Council, Drew Mullholland, Cyril Ornadel, The Inmates, Hattie Cooke, Altered Images, Maximilian, Concretism, Bellprover, Babe Ruth, Sandy Nelson, Beautify Junkyards & Belbury Poly a hint of Gregory's Girl and even Charlie and Lola.
As usual have no idea when the next one will be, so until then…all keep safe and look after yourself’s.

Quatermass and the Pit (Ending)

 I have for a very long time been quite fascinated by the bleak and very minimal ending of the Film version of  Nigle Kneale's Quatermass and the Pit (5 Million Years to Earth, US Title) I remember the 1st time I watched this film. It was Christmas sometime in the 1970s. My Dad said I could stay up and watch it with him. When the film finally finished, the ending intrigued me. A while back I mentioned this ending to a friend, he knew instantly what I was talking about and felt the same. I have watched the film many many times and probably have just watched the ending even more. The last sentence spoken in the film with 4:51sec to go is “You’ll have to go round and stop her” a few words said after that but no sentance, no great speech at the end or smiles of relief  that its all over, no warnings for the human race to beware in case it all happens again. Its just this. London has been saved, Andrew Keir (Quatermass) turns the corner and see's Barbara Shelley (Barbara Judd) sitting head hung low, they barely acknowledge each other...if at all. Quatermass stands while Barbara Judd sits. Both look worn out, lost speechless, and completely done in. There is no dialogue. Sirens and a dog barking in the distance the music creeps in and the credits roll, while the end footage of the two of them standing and sitting is looped. This continues until the credits are complete. This ending is very different from the original 1958 BBC version which finishes with the warning "If we cannot control the inheritance within us, this will be their [the Martians'] second dead planet." 
Film ending Credits sequence

CiS Whitby Nov 2021 Levitation

 Despite running a Record Label and having a day job, the mighty Colin Morrison (the man behind Castles in Space Record Label) has now organised a live event in Whitby on the 5th and 6th of November 2021 at Flowergate Hall Whitby. I am really always baffled and impressed by how Colin manages to fit all this in.  Playing live on the two nights are a number of CiS artist: The New Obsolescents, Dohnavur, Simon James, Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan, Polypores, Fieldlines Cartographer, Concretism and Richard Norris. A few years back I visited the Deleware Road event and had a lovely time, bimbling around meeting so many wonderful people. I was rather hoping to pop up for the two days and do the same, but unfortunatly being this far South, getting there and booking a room is looking very problematic. Its really is going to be a cracking event. Tickets and info

Broken Folk 10inch EP available now on Bandcamp

I am pleased to say that there is now a limited number of copies of the Seatman & Powell (featuring Belbury Poly) Broken Folk 10inch EP, available from Bandcamp. Previously only available from Ghostbox Records, Belbury Music Shop. A five track EP of collaborations with folk singer Douglas E. Powell /Bellprover selected from my albums, A Rest Before the Walk and all hold hands and off we go. It opens with a remix of the title track Broken Folk by Ghost Box veterans, Belbury Poly.
Melancholic and subtly psychedelic, these songs are redolent of supernatural short stories and winter afternoons out on English landscapes. In these dark rustic reveries, Seatman builds a dense collage of electronics, fragmented melody and found sound, around which Powell weaves his dreamlike lyrics. The 10” is pressed on translucent green vinyl with sleeve art by Belbury Poly's Jim Jupp. It’s released on Seatman’s own label KS Audio and is produced in association with Belbury Music. 
Broken Folk* (Belbury Poly Mix)
Boxes with Rhythms In
Broken Folk
Mr Metronome
My Morning Ritual

All instruments
Keith Seatman (& Jim Jupp on * ). Vocals Douglas E Powell
Produced by Keith Seatman & Jack Packer.
Except * produced by Jim Jupp
Written by Seatman & Powell.
Except * by Seatman, Powell & Jupp
Mastered by Jim Jupp
Cover design by Jim Jupp
(P) & (C) K S Audio 2018
Belbury Music

Broken Folk 10inch EP available now on Bandcamp

Keith Seatman · Broken Folk EP (Excerpts)Seatman & Powell featuring Belbury Poly

Beautify Junkyards & Belbury Poly 30th April

Released on 30th April on all digital channels and on heavyweight vinyl 7” with beautiful gatefold sleeve artwork is by Ghost Box Records in house designer, Julian House. The A side is a cover of The Incredible String Band’s Painting Box, originally written by Mike Heron. It’s a collaboration between Beautify Junkyards and Belbury Poly and produced by Jim Jupp. The flipside is an original by Beautify Junkyards, Ritual in Transfigured Time, produced by João Branco Kyron. Both have a delightfully disorientating sound. The artists complement each other perfectly with their through-the-looking-glass electronic psychedelia. Release Date 30th April 2021

Ghost Box · Painting Box (preview)

New Album Update CiS093 (Feb 2022)

Due to many unforseen circumstances which really cannot be helped. The release of my new Album Sad Old Tatty Bunting (CiS093) has had to be put back to Feb 2022. The Artwork (Nick Taylor) has been completed and the album mastered (RedRedPaw) but at present the turnaround times at pressing plants are very very long with lots of extra complications which I will not go into here.
Have agreed with the mighty (and very hard working, I do not know how he does it) Colin Morrison at CiS that a Feb release would be best option at present. I have a been asked to contribute to a few other projects so there will be a couple of new tunes surfacing before then + some Video teasers, by Jez Stevens (who made the Avoid Large Places Video for Time to Dream Album)

Keith Seatman · Sad Old Tatty Bunting Excerpts (Feb 2022)

Test Transmission Archive Reel 44.

Welcome to Test Transmission Archive Reel 44. All the music here, was released between 1970 and 1976. The reason for this is a bit long winded but I will explain. There was always a lot of music in the house I grew up in. My older sister in her room, Mum and Dad playing records downstairs and then my room and my little mono record player which by 1975 had been retired and replaced by my 1st stereo. Then there was the radio, Radio One Two and Luxembourg were the stations that were always on. Late Sunday afternoon/eve we would all gather and listen to the Top 20 countdown and of course Thursday was Top of the Pops and then there was The Old Grey Whistle Test. In 1970/72 my very young record collection consisted of anything I had been given, A Peter and the Wolf LP, Scooby Doo and the Snowman Mystery various very scratched Beatles singles The Monster Mash, Dave and Ansell Collins Double Barrel and Top of the Pops, Hot Hits LPs. But I started to notice different and strange music coming from my sisters room. In the space of a year it had changed from David Cassidy to David Bowie. The very 1st single I ever bought with my own pocket money was Sparks, This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us. Purchased at Weston Heart. My sister’s records and tastes in music were moving and changing fast. John Peel’s Top Gear was on Saturday afternoon plus Sounds of the seventies which was mostly album tracks. I was lucky as my sister worked part time in an independent record shop (Just called record shops back then) and would come home with records, some with very odd looking covers and sometimes these were passed onto me. I had no idea who some of the bands were, but I excepted these odd and fine donations anyway. Another interesting thing passed onto me were the Record Label Catalogues /brochures. I had a pile of these and again I would flick through and wonder who a lot of these bands and musicians were. In school holidays and weekends myself and friend would loiter in the record shop randomly picking out albums and getting my sister to play them. As the 70s creaked on the Music Magazine Zig Zag appeared in the house to accompany the Melody Maker, Record Mirror, Sounds and New Musical Express (NME) There is no real order to the tracks in this mix, all just randomly thrown together as my brain half remembered sounds, extracts comments and moments that were corrected and/or confirmed by my Sister. That said the last 3 tracks had to be at the end. Signalling that something new was yet again being listened to in the house and drifting along the passage into my room.